Electric striking device for clocks



A (No Model.)

S. O. DICKINSON.

- ELECTRIC STRIKING-DEVIGE FOR CLOCKS. No. 363,215; Patented May 17, 1887.

wmm gvwwwboz if s mwum nar, wmm mlza UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

sILAs c. DICKINSON, or WILTON, IOWA.

ELECTRIC STRIKING DEVICE FOR C LOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,215, dated May 17, 1887.

Application filed January 5, 1867. Serial No. 223,426. (No model) regular hours.

The object of the invention is to provide means for electrically striking thehours,which may be applied to any clock without disturbing in any way the clock mechanism and without including in the electric circuit any part of said mechanism. As'the minute'hand of the clock passes 12 each hour it closes the electric circuit, and this by its action through an electromagnet causes a single stroke of the bell. By means of circuit controllers and other devices the circuit is opened and closed as many times as are required to indicate the hour of the day, each opening and closing of the circuit causing one stroke upon the bell. The clock having once closed the circuit by its minute hand, as already described, has no further connection with the striking devices until the next hour begins, or until by suitable adjustment of the circuits and striking devices it is d esired to have the bell again struckas, for instance, at the half or quarter hours.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawing, which is adiagram with the striking parts and circuits in detail, and in which- M A represents a portion of the clock-face; B,v the upper end of the minute-hand, shown as just approaching the point 12.

0 is a circuit-closer arranged as shown in the drawing to be operated by the end of the minute-hand as it passes the 12 mark. The circuit-closerO is composed of the two springs c 0, arranged normally to remain apart and thus leave the circuit open, but the minutehand presses them together, holding them thus for a short time-that is, until it passes the end of the lower spring, a, and allows the circuit-closing points at c" to separate.

D D is a shunt-circuit including the battery E and the electromagnct M.

M is the armature, and L is the armaturelever applied thereto. This lever is pivoted at l and its movement is limited by the stops L and L armature from the magnet.

D D, &c.,is another or auxiliary circuit including the battery E and the electromagnet M, and this circuit also includes the cir' cuit-breakers C O.

Wis a wheel turning upon the shaft 10 in a position to be operated by the pawl P,fixed upon the armature-lever L. The rim of the wheel F has the pins h h h, &c., arranged unequally, as shown, the distances between them increasing in a'well-known manner in theratio from one to twelve. The wheel W has seventyeight teeth or notches, that being the number struck by a clock in twelve hours.

The remaining devices will be understood in connection with their mode of operation, which will now be described.

In the position shown in the drawing the first hour is to be struck. The circuit is open, as will be seen, at O and at C. At the latter point the circuit-closing points 0? are normally held apart by the resilience of the springs c and c". The lever F, pivoted at f, has its shorter end resting against the first pin, h.

The adjustable screw f passes through the other end and limits the distance separating the contact points 0. As the minute-hand 13 passes the point 12 it closes the circuit C, andthe magnet M is vitalized. The armature and armature-lever are brought forward against the stop L and are held there untilthe minutehand passes the end of the circuit-closingspring a and allows the points 0 to separate, thus opening the circuit. The spring S then immediately draws the armature-lever back to its former position, and as this takes place the pawl P engages the tooth of the wheel WV, following the one it had previously engaged, and thus the wheel IV is carried forward in the directionof the arrow one tooth. Its return is prevented by the pawl 12. As the wheel W goes forward, the end of the lever F leaves the pin h and moves under the pin h. It will be perceived that the outer end of the lever does not change its position, and the circuit-closing points 0 therefore remain open. When the lever L makes its first movement toward the magnet, as described, the end of the click or 5.; The sprlng S-tcnds to draw the r catch P passes under the lower end of the lever H, which forms one end of the arm carrying the bell-hammer H, and is pivoted to an independent support at 1'. When the lever L returns by the tension of the spring S, the catch P strikes the lever H on the other side and moves it to the right, thus .raising the hammer H. Just before the lever L strikes the stop L, the catch P passes under the lower end of H, andthe hammer H falls upon the bell T. The hammer His prevented from resting upon the bell T by the stop The circuit-closer C is formed of the two springs c"c carrying thecircnit-closing points at c, The springs c c tend automatically to remain apart by their own resilience; but in the position of the parts shown in the draw ings they are held together by the block Z and also by the spring Z". The latter has one end resting upon the beveled surface of the block Z, which is fastened to the spring 0 Vhen the lever Lmoves toward the magnet, and the block Z is separated from the block I", the circuitelosing points 0 are still held together by the spring Z. Just as the lever L reaches the stop L, the beveled end of the block I strikes the projection Z upon the spring Z. The latter is raised and the circuit-closing points a are allowed to separate for a short time. The circuit D is therefore opened at..two points namely, at O and O The circuit at C is closed again by the return of the lever L, and, as already shown, the circuit at 0 still remains open.

By the operations described a single stroke of the bell has been given, and the parts will remain in the relative position shown in the drawing until the min nte-hand again closes the circuit at O. \Vhen this takes place the short end of the lever F will be resting, as at ready shown, against the pin h of the wheel W. The hour two is the next to be struck. The first stroke will be produced in precisely the same manner as has been described. W'hen thelevcrLretnrns, however, giving this stroke and carrying the wheel XV forward one notch, the short end ofthe lever F will be between the pins h and h The outer end of the lever will therefore fall and immediately press the circuit-closing points 0 of the circuit-closer 6 together. Thus the circuit D is closed both at G and O, the result being that the magnet M is again instantly vitalized, and the armature M and lever L are again drawn forward against the stop L. This opens the circuit at C, as has been described. The lever L is again withdrawn by the spring S, and a second stroke upon the bell is produced. Upon this second return of the lever L the wheel XV is pushed forward another notch, and this brings the short end of the lever F under the pin 7L2, which opens the circuit at G, and therefore the mag net is not again vitalized.

YVhen the time for striking the third hour arrives the circuit D is closed as before at G by the minutehand B, the first stroke upon have been given upon the bell.

the bell is produced as described, the short end of the lever F leaves the pin h, the circuit at Ois completed, and as there is a space between the pins h and h equal to two notches upon the wheel 7, the lever L will be required to make two movements backward and forward before the pin h is reached, and the circuit at O is again opened, so that three strokes It will now be readily seen how this operation is repeated for every hour, the spaces between the pins h on the wheel \V determining the number of to and-fro movements of the lever L in each case after the first stroke has been made by the closing of the circuit at C.

It will be seen that the operation is the same as that of a rheotome, and, in fact, after the first stroke has been given, the apparatus is a rheotome with limiting devices.

At R is shown a device for regulating the rapidity with which the strokes upon the bell shall be given. It consists of a fan, It, turir ing upon the arbor or pivot 'r. The upper end of the lever L is provided with arms or branches L and L which are separated a suitable distance, and are curved upward, so that they may be connected by the cord .r. This cord is wound once or more about the drum 0", which revolves loosely upon the pinion and carries the ratchet-wheel 0*, which is engaged by the clicks 1'" r". \Vhen the lever L is drawn toward the magnet, the drum r and ratchet-wheel r are turned in the direction of the arrow by the cord :0,- bnt when the lever L is carried back by the spring S the clicks 1'" clamp the ratchet-wheel to the fan and cause the latter to revolve. As the wings of the fan may be arranged to present any desired resistance to the atmosphere, it will be seen that a return of the lever L from the stop L" to the stop L may be made as slow as desired, and the rapidity with which the strokes upon the bell are given may be correspondingly governed.

AtV is shown a device whereby an exterior circuit including one or more bells may be operated at the same time as that which has been described. In this case circuit-closing points 1) of the circuit-closer c, auton'latically held apart by the resilience of the springs o 0 form a part of the circuit D, which includes the battery E, the magnet M, and the bell T. In every case, as the lever H is raised, it is arranged to strike the arm e,carried upon the spring o, and to close the circuit at a. The strokes therefore given upon the bell T will be simultaneously given upon the bell T and upon as many bells as are placed in the circuit D".

I do not confine myself to the wheel V for determining the number of strokes which shall be given, nor do I'confine myself to the form of regulator It, as other devices known to-those skilled in the art may be used as substitutes for these.

By placing circuit-closers similar to O at the proper points on the dial, and by asuitable ar rangement of 'pins and teeth upon the wheel W in the path of the lever F, it will be seen that the quarter or half hours may be sounded upon the bell T.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbelore set forth, with a time-clock, of an electric circuit, an electromagnet, its armature and armature-lever, a circuit-controller operated by said clock, a second electric circuit, a rheotome included therein, set in operation by a current in the first-named circuit, and an automatic device governed by said rheotome for determining the length of time it shall be operated. 7,

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a time-clock, of an electric circuit, an electro-magnet, its armature and armature-lever, a circuit-controller in said circuit operated by said clock, a bell caused to be struck once by the'closing of said circuit bysaid clock, a second electric circuit, a rheotome applied to said second circuit, set in operation by the closing of said first circuit, and means, substantially as described, for determining the operation of said rheotome.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a time-clock, an electric circuit, an electro-magnet included therein, its armature and armaturelever, a circuit-closer operated by said clock, a bell caused to be operated by said armaturelever, a-second electric circuit, a rheotome therein for continuing the operation of said armaturelever, and

means, substantially as described, for determining the number of times said armaturelcver shall be operated by said rheotome.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with atime-clock, of an electric circuit, an electro-magnet, its armatureand armature-lever, a circuit-closer operated by said clock, a bell operated by the to-andfro movements of said armature-lever, a second electric circuit including said electro-magnet, and a device for determining the number of times said circuit shall be opened and closed.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a time-clock, an electric circuit, an electro-magnet, its armature and armature-lever, a circuit-closer operated by said clock, a bell operated by the toand-fro movements of said armature-lever, a second electric circuit including said electro-magnet,

a device operated by said armature-lever for determining the number of times said second circuit shall be opened and closed, and a regulating device for controlling the rate of motion of said armature-lever away from said magnet.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a time-clock, a normallyopen electric circuit periodically closed and reopened by said clock, an electro-magnet, its armature and armature-lever, a bell operated by the to-and-fro movements of said lever, a second electric circuit including said electromagnet, two circuit-closers in said circuit, one of which is operated directly by said armaturelever, and a device determining the number of to-and-fro movements of said armature-lever for operating the second circuit-closer.

7. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a time-clock, of an electric circuit,an electro-magnet, its armature and armature-lever, a circuit-closer operated by said clock, a bell operated by said armaturelever, a second electric circuit including said electro-magnet, a device operated by said" armature-lever for determining the number of times said second circuit shall be opened and closed, a third electric circuit, one or more electric bells included therein, and means, substantially as described, for closing said third circuit simultaneously with each stroke upon said first-named bell.

8. The combination, substantially as hereiubefore set forth, with the clock A, the electric circuit, the circuit-closer G, the magnet M, and its armature and armature-lever, of the bell-hammer and bell, the circuit-closers O and O, the pawl 19, the wheel F, the spring S, and the regulator R.

9. The combination, substantially as here inbefore set forth, of the clock A, the electric circuit D, the electro-magnet M, its armature and armature-lever, the belthammer and bell, the second circuit, I), circuit-cl0sers O and C", the wheel WV, the lever E, the regulator R, the circuit D and circuit-closer C operated by said bell.

10. The hereindescribed method of electrically producing a predetermined number of strokes upon a hell or gong, which consistsin first causing a single stroke by the operation of an electric circuit, and therebysetting in operation a rheotome for causing the desired remaining number of strokes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of December, A. D. 1886. p

A SILAS O. DICKINSON. \Vitnesses:

D. W. EDGECOMB, CHARLES A. TERRY. 

